Display carton



Jan. l5, 1935. L. w. sAULsBURY DI SPLAY CARTON Filed Sept. 23, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 N Le ATTORNEYS Jan- 15, 1935- L. w. suLsBURY DISPLAY CARTON Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed sept. 23, 195s Patented Jan. 15, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Lawrence Wilson Saulsbury, New York, N. Y., as-

aixnor to Eagle Pencil Company Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application September 23, 1933, Serial No. 690,684

19 Claims.

m present invention relates to display containers, more especially to cartons used for the combined purpose of shipping, storing and for easel display of the contents. 'Ihe invention is 5 shown embodied in a combination carton and display easel for crayons, although in its broader aspects, it has many other fields of application.

An object of the invention is to provide an attractive small ornamental package which aml ply protects the contents and which can be set in display easel position, in which the contents are exposed for individual removal.

Another object is to provide an article of the above type, by which a simple manual thrust l serves simultaneously to open the carton and set the easel and a simple thrust in reverse direction, serves simultaneously to close the carton and collapse the easel to flat inobtrusive position.

Another object is to provide an article of the above type which is made from not more than two cardboard blanks, readily put together and assembled in manufacture.

Another object is to provide a carton of -the above type, by which unique action picture effects are produced in the closing and opening of the carton, which are especially amusing and appealing to child users.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention is shown embodied in a flat carton construction suitable for a dozen crayons. Instead of the usual slide cover extending the lengthof the carton, a slide is used according to the present invention, much shorter than the length of the carton, and in upper-most position preferably maintains the cover flap tucked, an

extension integral with the rear panel thereof, constituting an easel, preferably hinged at its base to the lower edge of the carton and so slit and. creased as to form a strut and an easel base which automatically folds outward to set position as the slide is moved downward.

Another feature is a display arrangement,

whereby the crayons are sustained upon a false bottom, formed by a wide tongue cut from the front panel of the carton and folded rearward to aiord a window.

Another feature is the arrangement of a transverse window in the slide member adapted to expose the upper parts of the crayons through the space between the cover nap and the upper edge of the front panel and to close the lower window when said slide is in lowermost position.

Another feature is the use of action pictures (Cl. 20H4) preferably on both the front and rear panels of the carton and of the slide.

A picture on the slide complements or coacts with one on the box exposed therebelow in raised position of the slide, and with another one exposed thereabove in depressed position of the slide. Similarly the picture on the easel strut coacts with a picture on the box exposed as the slide is moved downward to set the easel.

In the accompanying drawings in which areV shown one or more of various possible embodiments of the several features of my invention,

Fig. 1 is a front perspective view of the closed carton,

Fig. 2 is a rear perspective view of the closed carton,

Fig. 3 is a front perspective view of the open carton set in display position,

Fig. 4 is a rear perspective view of the open carton set in display position,

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view on a larger scale taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view on a larger scale taken `along the line 6-6 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the developed blank of the box element, and

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the developed blank of the combined slide and easel element.

Referring now to the specific embodiment shown in the drawings, the cover blank of Fig. 7 comprises a wide front panel 10, a wide rear panel 11, narrow side strips or panels 12 and 13 andv an extra tongue 14 by which the parts folded on intervening crease lines are connected together adhesively or by staples (not shown). The rear panel has integral therewith, a narrow cover extension 15 with a flap 16 which in downturned position, as best shown in Fig. 3, terminates considerably short of the upper edge 17 of the front panel 10. The front panel has an upwardly extending short tongue 18 extending substantially the width of the panel and cut out therefrom. 'I'his tongue is folded back as best shown in Fig. 5 to afford a false bottom 19 for sustaining the crayons C or other articles, exposed through window 22, thus formed, the false bottom being frictionally sustained in horizontal position by the Aupturned end 20 of the tongue 18 which presses against the rear wall. The tongue flap is laterally stepped as at 21 so as to improve the appearance of the window and also to avoid weakening the box by slitting the creased edges of the front panel through a length greater than the thickness ofthe carton.

The lower edge of the front panel 10 has a bottom tongue 23 with a ap 24 to be upturned. as more fully described below. The base crease of the bottom tongue 23 has preferably a short slit 25 to cooperate as hereinafter set forth with a narrow tongue 28 extending from the lower edge of the rear panel 1l.

The construction also involves a combined slide and easel shown in Fig. B. The slide comprises a wide front panel 27. a wide back panel 28 and narrow intervening end strips or panels 29 and 30 which determine the thickness of the slide. 'I'he auxiliary tongue 31 at one end of the blank is adhesively connected or stsgiled to the opposite side 30 as best shown in Fig. 6. The slide which is adapted to embrace the carton is of height preferably substantially half the height of the carton.

Integral with rear panel 28 is the easel extension 32 which has unitary with the lower end thereof, a tuck flap 33 with a median short slit 5l, like slit 25 in Fig. 7. The overall height of the rear panel and easel extension above the tuck flap is equal to the height of the carton. The easel extension is separated from the rear panel by transverse slits 34 and 35 aligned with the lower edge of the front panel 27 and joined at theirinner ends by a bridge 36, from which extend longitudinal slits 37 and 38 into the slide panel 28, said latter slits connected at their upper ends by a short transverse crease 39 along which the upper part or strut 36 of the easel fiexes outwardly when the easel is to be set, as best shown in Fig. 4. The lower end of the strut extends the entire width of the panel above the crease 40 somewhat below the lower edge of the slide.

The slide formed from the blank of Fig. 8 is telescoped over the box made from the blank of Fig. 7. As best shown in Fig. 5, ap 33 on the slide extension 32 is reversely folded and the tongue 26 at the lower edge of the rear panel 1l of the box is inserted through slot 51 and then passed across the thickness of the narrow bottom 23 of the box with the nap 26' of said tongue tucked inward and upward immediately under the front panel 10. The crayons C resting on the false bottom 19 and the slide being in its uppermost position, overlapping the cover flap 16, the package is in the closed condition shown in Figs. 1 and 5.

Preferably the front panel of the slide has a transverse slot 41 therein, which in the uppermost position of the slide exposes the crayons to view through the space intervening between the cover flap 16 and the upper edge 17 of the front panel as best disclosed in Fig. 1.

When it is desired to set the carton in display or use position, the slide is simply pushed downward by a straight manual thrust, in which it reaches the position shown in Figs. 3 and 4. In this operation, the slide thus exposes the cover flap 16 and the upper ends of the crayons C as shown. In the downward movement of the slide, as best shown in Fig. 4, the easel portion must automatically flex outward since the transverse crease 39 at the upper end of the easel strut 36 which remains in the plane of the slide is caused to approach the hinged lower edge of the easel. Accordingly, the easelA becomes set, the crease 40 permitting strut 36 to flex outwardly and to cause the easel support 32 to move downwardly to form the table rest of the easel.

To close the carton, the slide is raised from the position shown in Figs. 3 and 4 to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 while holding the cover flap 16 so that the slide will pass thereover. In the closed position, the easel 32-36 extends flat and continuous with the panel against the rear wall of the carton as best shown in Fig. 2. The closed package as shown in Fig. 1, presents an attractive appearance in which the crayons while exposed to view through windows 22 and 41, are yet adequately protected.

In a preferred embodiment, pictorial representations are used on the box and on the slide, which cooperate to afford interesting and amusing actions, performed in the shift of the slide from one to the other of its two alternative positions.

'In the illustrative embodiment shown in the drawings, the carton when closed presents the figure of a boy 45 on the slide panel, resting on his hands and knees and whose body closes part of slot 4l. The boy is shown in the act of drawing a picture 46 most of which picture appears on the lower exposed half of the box. In the lowermost position, the picture of the boy resting on hands and knees is at the bottom, and covers picture 46, but exposes another picture 47 on the upper part of the box, illustratively children with a board about to spank the boy 45. The transition from one pictorial representation to the other as the slide is moved is amusing especially to children.

At the rear face of the slide panel is illustratively shown the picture of a kneeling boy 48 which, in the lowermost position of the panel is still exposed, -the slits 37 and 38 determining the lateral contour of the boy whose body is now flexed rearward from the panel to form the easel strut. In this lowermost position of the slide panel there becomes exposed a picture on the rear panel of the box, illustratively of another boy 49 in the process of playing leap frog with the firstboy.

Figs. 7 and 8 indicate the relation of the pictures lithographed on the respective blanks. The pictures 45 and 48 on the two panels of the slide of Fig. 8 and the picture 49 on the rear panel of the carton are thus each substantially complete, while the front panel of the carton has two distinct pictures 46 and 47 separated by the transverse line 50. Each of the pictures 46 and 47 is complementary to the picture 45 on the front panel of the slide.

Thus, it will be seen that the invention from the aspect of the action pictures depends on the use of complementary pictures on the slide and box respectively, the picture and slide having a correlation to provide a pictorial scene in coordination with one or either of two pictures, one or the other of which is exposed to view, depending on the position of the slide.

Of course any of an infinite number of possible pictorial arrangements could be used with the general mechanical coaction thereof set forth, and the detailed description of the particular pictures shown is merely for clearer understanding of the principle and not by way of limitation.

It will thus be seen that there is herein described an article in which the several features of this invention are embodied, and which article in its action attains the various objects of the invention and is well suited to meet the requirements of practical use.

As many changes could be made in the above construction, and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:-

1. A combination carton and easel comprising a fiat box having a slide member thereabout disposed near the top of the box in the closed position thereof, and slidable downward for opening said box, said slide having a portion hinged thereto at one end thereof and hinged at the opposlte end thereof to the bottom of the box and having an outward crease above the bottom and below the slide portion, thereby automatically to form an easel for the box as the slide is moved downward.

2. An easel carton for crayons or the like including a box with an inturned flap at its top, a cardboard slide member encircling said box and in its uppermost position retaining said ap in closed position, said slide having an easel extension connected at its lower end in hinged relation to the bottom of said box and at its upper end in hinged relation to the slide proper, said easel extension presenting a transverse hinge portion substantially midway between the bottom and the top thereof, whereby in moving the slide downward to open position, the flat easel is moved rearward and outward tobperative position. 3. An easel carton for crayons or the like comprising a flat cardboard box having a cover flap at its top and a cardboard slide of length less than that of the box, and in the uppermost position thereof maintaining the flap in closed position, an easel member connecting the slide to the box and flattened against the rear of the box in the uppermost position of the slide, said easel member having a hinge conformation between the uppermost and lowermost ends thereof, to automatically flex rearward and downward as the slide is moved downward alongthe box, thereby concurrently to open the box and set the easel to operative position.

4. A combination carton and easel for crayons or the like comprising a ilat box, a slide memberA about said box and of length less than that of said box, and maintaining said box closed when in uppermost position, an easel member normally flat against the rear of said box when in closed position, said easel member integral with said slide, and presenting an integral flap at the lower end tucked into the box to afford a hinging connection with the bottom of the box, said easel member having a transverse crease below the slide proper, and a transverse crease of width less than that of the slide extending across tlie body of the slide, that part of said easel above the bottom of the slide being slit out of the body of the slide, whereby in downward movement of the slide to open position, the easel becomes automatically set, with the portion thereof below the median crease serving as the support and the length thereof between the two creases serving as a strut. v

5. A combination carton and easel for crayonsA or the like, comprising a flat box, having a cover flap at its top, a cardboard slide encircling said box and of length considerably less than the height of said box, said slide in uppermost position maintaining the cover tucked closed, easel means flat against the rear of said box when in closed position, said easel means comprising a strut portion and a support portion both integral with said slide, the support portion extending substantially the width of the box and inciuding a ilap at its lower end tucked into the box, the strut portion being substantially cut out of the slide at the upper part thereof, and having a transverse hinging crease connection with the slide, a transverse crease below the slide constituting the junction between the strut portion and support portionof the easel, whereby in moving the slide downward to open the carton, the easel becomes automatically set.

6. A combination carton and easel comprising a pair of cardboard blanks, one of said blanks assembled into a at box, closed at its lower end, having a cover tlap at its upper end, the second blank assembled to constitute a slide encircling i the box, and of length considerably less than the height of said box and serving in its uppermost position to tuck the cover flap in closed position, said slide having hinged thereto, the upper end of an easel portion, extending flat along the back of the box when the slide is in elevated position, said easel tucked at the lower end thereof into the bottom of the box, and presenting a transverse median crease about whichl the easel portion automatically hinges rearward and downward as the slide is moved toward the lower end of the box to cause the cover ilap to open.

7. A combination carton and easel for crayons or the like, comprising a fiat box having a cover with a flap spaced in its lowermost position, from the top of the box proper, a distinct slide and easel blank comprising a slide element encircling the box, of length approximately half the height of the box and adapted in its uppermost position to maintain the cover ap locked closed, the rear panel of said slide blank extending substantially the entire area of the rear of said box and including a flap at its lower end tucked into said box, said panel being'slit transversely to define the lower edge of the slide, the slide proper having two slits extending longitudinally, upward from said lower edge and being creased transversely between the upper ends of said slits, the blank being creased transversely below said slide, wherebyV in moving the slide downward along the box, the easel portion will iiex rearwardly and downwardly to determine an easel support at the lower part thereof and a strut at the upper part thereof.

8. A combination carton and easel for crayons or the like, comprising a fiat box, a cover slide and easel member for said box comprising a single blank including a slide encircling the box and of height substantially half that of the box and having integrally extending from the rear face thereof, an easel including a strut portion connected by a short fold line to the body of the slideI at the rear thereof, and a support portion integral with said strut portion extending substantially the width of the box, tucked at its lower end into the bottom of the box and connected by a transverse fold line across the width of the box, with respect to the strut portion, whereby in the downward movement of the slide to open position, the.

upper end of the strut portion remains in the plane of the box, the forward end of the support portion remains at the bottom of the box and the intermediate crease exes downward and rearward thereby setting the easel.

9. A combination carton and easel for crayons and the like, comprising a blank formed as a ilat box, a second blank comprising a slide of length less than that of the box and encircling the latter, an easel extension integral with said slide and lying in the plane of one face of said slide when the latter is in uppermost position, the lower end of said easel having a flap extension tucked into said box, said box having a narrow tongue protruding through a slit at the flap extension of said easel, said narrow tongue tucked at its forward edge into a corresponding slit at the forward face of said carton.

10. A combination carton and easel comprising a fiat box, presenting two transverse windows exposing the contents near the bottom and near the top thereof respectively, a slide encircling said carton and of length materially less than the height of said carton, a iiap at the upper end of the carton maintained in tucked position, with the slide uppermost, said slide in lowermost position covering the lower of said windows, an easel structure unitary with said slide, hinged at its lower end to the lower end of said box and ilat against the rear of said box when the slide is in uppermost position, thereby limiting the upward movement of said slide, said easel preventing the downward movement of said slide, beyond the lower end of the box, in which latter position, the easel is operatively set.

11. As an article of manufacture, a blank for a combination cover slide and easel, said blank comprising apair of wide front and back panels with intervening narrow side panels, said rear panel having a unitary extension at the lower end thereof to forni an easel base, the rear panel having two longitudinal slits extending from the inner ends of longitudinal slits that define the lower edge of the slide, and a transverse crease connecting the upper ends of the longitudinal slits.

12. A combination carton and easel comprising l a flat box member having a sliding panel thereon of width less than the length of said carton, said panel having an easel piece unitary therewith hinged at its lower edge to the lower edge of said carton and fiat against the rear wall of said box when the panel is in uppermost position, said slide panel and easel having a picture thereon, two slits longitudinally of the slide panel conforming to the contour of a figure of said picture, said panel having a transverse crease at the upper ends of said slits to determine the upper end of an outwardly bending easel strut automatically set as the slide panel is'slid downward, the box having a picture normally covered by said slide panel and exposed to view as the slide panel is moved downward, the picture on said slide panel being complementary to that on said box.

13. As an article of manufacture, a iiat carton member for crayons or the like, having a front panel, terminating well below the upper edge of the rear panel, the latter having a downturned flap, the front panel having two distinct pictures thereon separated by a transverse line midway of the height of the-carton, the rear panel having a picture on the upper half thereof, the pictures at the upper part of the front and rear panels depicting an action, a slide encircling said carton of height substantially half that of the carton and having at its rear face and integral therewith, an easel conformation tucked into the bottom of the carton, said easel conformation including a strut member comprising an upwardly extending tongue slit from the material of the panel, the rear panel and easel presenting a complete picture, said picture being complementary to that on the rear of saidbox, when the latter is exposed in downward movement of the slide, the front of the slide presenting a picture complementary to that exposed therebelow on the front of the carton, and complementary to that exposed to view at the upper part of the carton when said slide is moved downward in exposing the cover nap and setting the easel.

14. A flat carton for crayons or the like, having a slide of length less than the height of said carton for closure of the carton in one setting of said slide and opening of the carton in another setting of said slide, said slide having a picture on one face thereof, said carton having a picture on the corresponding face thereof concealed by said slide in closed position thereof and exposed in the other position of said slide, said pictures being complementary to represent an action in the transitional movement for exposure of the concealed picture. v

15. A carton for crayons or the like having a slide thereabout of height substantiallyhalf that of said carton for closure of the carton in the uppermost position of said slide and opening of said carton in the lowermost position of said slide, a picture on said carton concealed by said slide when the latter is in the uppermost position and exposed by said slide when the latter is in lowermost position, said slide having a. picture complementary to that of said carton to represent an action when the two pictures are in juxtaposed relation in the open position of the slide.

16. A carton for crayons or the like, comprising a box member, a slide member thereon of height substantially half that of said box member, means limiting the motion of said slide for closure of said carton when the upper edge of said slide is flush with the top of said carton and for opening thereof when the lower edge of said slide is flush with the lower edge of said carton, a unitary picture having a part thereof on said slide and a complementary part thereof exposed on said box member when said slide is in closed setting, said box member having another picture concealed by said slide in uppermost position of the latter and exposed by said slide in lowermost position of the latter, the picture on said slide and on the upper part of said box being complementary to represent an action in the transition from the upper to the lower setting of said slide.

17. A carton for crayons or the like comprising a box member, a slide member thereabout of height less than that of said carton, means connecting said slide member to said box member to limit the movement of the former on the latter to dispose the upper and lower edges of the slide respectively in registration with the upper and lower edges of the box member in the movement of the slide from closed to open position, said carton having an easel in hinged relation at its upper end to a portion of the slide between the upper and lower edges thereof, and a hinge at its lower end to the lower edge of the box and having a median hinge flat against the box in the upper or closed setting of the slide, said easel automatically exing outward in the downward movement of the slide to the limit dened by the lower hinge of the easel member, the slide and easel having a picture thereon, another picture on the carton concealed under said first picture and exposed in the downward movement of said slide, the two pictures exposed in juxtaposed relation in the lowermost position of said slide and outwardly flexed position of said easel, representing an action in cooperation.

18. A fiat carton for crayons or the like, having a front wall with a window near the bottom thereof, said window having its lower portion extending the entire width of the carton end of height substantially equal to the space between the front and rear walls of the carton, said window havinga portion of reduced width with its lateral edges spaced inward from the lateral walls of the carton, said front wall having a tongue cut therein, determining said window, said tongue bent inward with the wider portion thereof forming a false bottom, said false bottom frietionally held at the edges thereof against the rear wall of the carton, the face of the narrower portion ot said tongue lying against the rear wail of the casing. v

19. A combination carton and easel comprising a flat box having a slide member thereabout disposed near one end of the box in the closed position thereof, and slidable for opening said box, said .slide having a portion hinged thereto near one end thereof, said portion hinged near its opposite end adjacent an end of the box and having an outward crease between the hinges of said portion, thereby to form an easel for the box as the slide member is moved from the closed position.

LAWRENCE WILSON SAULSBURY. 

